Common Merganser – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern The males will grow to be larger than the females These interesting looking birds are called common mergansers. I came across these ducks in Yellowstone National Park. They were drifting down a very cold stream, as you can tell by the snow in the photo. The duck on the left […]
House Sparrow – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern House sparrows, like some other birds, use “grit” in their diets This is one of the most widely distributed birds in the world. It is native to the Middle East. It can also be found in Europe, Asia, North and South America, Africa, and Australia. Some of this distribution is […]
Western Bluebird – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern These birds have similar nesting habits to the house sparrow Only 30% of bluebirds make it past their first year of life. In the wild, they can live to be five years old. They do not have a very long life, but it is an interesting one. There are three […]
Eastern Lubber Grasshopper – iNaturalist These young nymphs will go through ~5 instars/molts Wild Boyz Photography featured the adult eastern lubber grasshopper back in 2021. The adult eastern lubber grasshoppers are yellow and they have wings Eastern Lubber This is a photograph of a nymph stage eastern lubber grasshopper, which does not have wings. They are all […]
Mule Deer – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Mule deer can jump as far as 15′ This photo was taken at Zion National Park in Utah. Mule deer are a regular sighting here in the park. The range for mule deer includes much of western North America. Mule deer are fast but also rely on their large ears […]
Turkey Vulture – IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern Vultures heads are bald so that the pieces of dead animal don’t get stuck in head feathers These apex predators are found across the United States. In fact, they can be found from southern Canada to South America. This is an easy bird to identify because it is a […]
Volcanoes National Park Hāpu’u pulu plants with their massive fronds that can grow to heights of twenty-five feet! As we hike along the north rim of the Kīlauea Iki trail in Volcanoes National Park in Hawai’i, there was an abundance of forest all around us. This was in stark contrast to the Kīlauea Iki Crater […]
Hot Springs National Park This is one of the more interestingly shaped national parks This photo is of two balanced rocks in Hot Springs National Park. I took this photo while on the Sunset Trail on the north side of the park. This is one of the more interestingly shaped national parks. It is doughnut […]
Redwood National Park Coast redwoods are known to live more than 600 years Looking up the trunk of this tree, I could tell just how massively tall it was. I was in Redwood National Park in California just starting the Tall Tree Trail. All around me were tree trunks that were wider than cars and […]
Jordan Pond – Acadia National Park This is the deepest body of water in Acadia reaching depths of 150 feet My favorite place east of the Mississippi River is Acadia National Park. This beautiful national park is located on an island along the northeast coast of Maine. It is not far from the most easterly part of […]